saunders



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1,

. w. L. SAUNDERS. METHOD OI INCREASING THE EFFICIENCY OF MOTOR FLUIDS.

' No. 486,411.* Patented Nov. 15, 1892.

Witnesses 314110141701 74 A, Q I. Wuuam Lfiazmdem I 8513 Pm 61mm,

(No Model.) 2 SheetsS heet 2.

W. L. SAUNDERS. METHOD. OF INGREAVSJNG THE EFFICIENCY 015 MOTOR FLUIDS.

No. 486,411.. Patented Nov. 15,1892.

Witheoaa v @mveM-foz k q g Y I L.S aimaer UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM L. SAUNDERS, OF NORTH PLAINFIELD, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR OFONE-HALF TO THE INGERSOLL SERGEANT DRILL COMPANY, OF NEIV YORK, N. Y.

METHOD OF INCREASING THE EFFICIENCY OF MOTOR FLUIDS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 486,411, dated November15, 1892. Application filed June 13, 1889- Serial No. 31%107. (Nospecimens.)

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, WILLIAM L. SAUNDERS, a citizen of the United States,residing at North Plainfield, in the county of Somerset and State of NewJersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Methods ofIncreasing the Efficiency of Motor Fluids, of which the following is adescription, reference being had to the accompanying 1o drawings, and tothe letters and figures of reference marked thereon.

My invention has reference to a method for increasing the efficiency ofcompressed air as a motor fluid, and has for its object to restore tothe compressed air the full measure of heat which it has lost throughcompression and transmission, and, furthermore, to so increase thetemperature of the compressed air as applied to an engine that when itis expanded and exhausted in the cylinders and valves its temperaturewill not be reduced below the freezing-point, thus obviating thedifficulty previously experienced through the freezing of the moisturein the air. In carrying out my invention I subject the compressed air tothe direct action of a flame within a closed chamber, desirably forminga portion of the system of pipes by which the motor fluid is transmittedto the point of consumption. I preferably use for the purpose of heatingthe air a flame produced by the combustion of. a fluid containinghydrocarbonsuch, for example, as gasoline. I find that by varying thequantity of hydrocarbon 3 5 furnished to the combustion-chamber I can atwill produce as a resultant heated carbonicacid gasorsimilarly-heatedcarbonic-oxide gas. In the former the flame, not beinginflammable, is used where the effect of expansion alone is desired,whereas the latter, being inflammable, may be used for any of thepurposes to which it is applicablefor example, as an illuminant, forproducing heat in cookingstoves or other burners, or when mixed with 4 5a suitable portion of air for the operation of explosion-engines usuallytermed gas-engines, and for Various other kindred purposes, which willin themselves be obvious.

An additional feature of my invention resides in the method of ignitingthe charge within the closed chamber, since I find that the mixtureresulting from the introduction of volatile hydrocarbon fluid or itsequivalent into the chamber containing compressed air will, on accountof the excess of oxygen, be highly inflammable and that therefore byproducing a spark between two terminals of an electric circuit, or evenby heating a filament or thin section forming a part of said circuit toincandescence, I can readily ignite the mixture, combustion being thensustained so long as the hydrocarbon is supplied.

The chief obstacle to the use of compressed air as a motive power is itscost. A further difflculty ensues from the formation of ice in the portsof the compressed-air engine.

It is well known to pneumatic engineers that when atmospheric air iscompressed a degree of heat is produced in proportion to the tension. Ifthis compressed air is cooled or allowed to cool to the temperature ofthe surrounding atmosphere and then used to drive the piston of anengine, when in the performance of this duty it is expanded and reachesthe normal pressure of the atmosphere heat is lost or cold is producedin exactly the same proportion as when the compression took place. Adouble source of loss is therefore experienced because in thecompressing-engine the production of heating 8o acts expansibly on theair, thus resisting compression, and, whether this heat is absorbeddirectly at the compressor or allowed to radi ate before the air isused, the result is power lost, for each unit of heat represents power.Then, again, in the compressed-air engine the reduction of temperatureis accomplished by a contraction of volume and pressure, which shrinkageof the motive fluid reduces the efficiency of the engine.

Various means have been devised for reheating compressed air,principally with a view of preventing its freezing in exhaustports ofengines. Such means have been through external application of heat bysur- 95 rounding the air-pipes with steam, hot water, or by passing thepipes through the flue of a furnace. Experiments have also been made tothis end by passing compressed air through hot water for the purpose ofincreasing its temperature; but in all the devices previously employedthe addition of heat is too expensive to materially reduce the cost ofcompressed air. In all cases of external ap plication of heat, if it isdone thoroughly, it must be done at considerable loss in caloric,inasmuch as a large part of the heat is lost through the chimney, and,besides, these devices involve coils of pipe which add to the frictionof transmission. My system of internal heatingis subject to none ofthese objections in that every heat-unit produces its best result inpower through its expansive effect upon the air.

A form of apparatus embodying the invention is shown in the accompanyingdrawings, and will be hereinafter fully described, and referred to inthe appended claims.

In said drawings, Figure 1 is a view showing an arrangement of apparatusadapted to carry out my invention, and Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectionaldetail view showing more clearly how the heating of the air may beeffected. Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic view illustrating the application ofthe invention to a number of different purposes for which it is adapted.

In the form of apparatus adapted to carry out my improved method andshown in the drawings the internal arrangement of the heating apparatusis most clearly seen in Fig. 2, in which is indicated the compressor1,connected by a pipe B to one side of a retort, drum, or receiver A,suitably mounted and supported, and from the opposite side of whichextends a delivery-pipe B, leading to the engine 2 to be driven. Thedrum A is desirably located near to the engine or engines to be operatedby the heated air or gas. Upon the top of the receiver A is mounted atank or retort 0, adapted to contain oil, gas, or any other suitableinflammable fluid, and closed at its top by a cap f, enabling thereplenishment of the oil. A burner D, preferably similar in constructionto a gasolineburner, is located in the lower part of the chamber of thereceiver and with said burner connects the tube d, leading from the tank0, said tube being adapted to supply oil to said burner in quantitiescontrolled by the valve 6, interposed in said tube. A second tube d tapsthe pipe B adjacent to its connection with the receiver and has itsother end communicating with the upper part of tank C, the air-pressureexerted within said tank being controlled by a valve 6'. F is anelectric battery, from the poles of which extend wires f f, having theirterminals or a thin strip or filament attached thereto located over theburner D. The character of the battery and of the circuit leadingtherefrom is immaterial, so long as it admits of the generation of aspark or heating the filament to incandescence above the burner D tostart the flame when required. In the air under pressure there will bean overcharge of carbon, which will readily unite with the oxygen in theoil, and a spark being generated the mixture will readily ignite andproduce a flame. This abundance of oxygen will maintain a highcombustion in the chamber A, converting a portion of the oxygen intocarbonic acid, which, together with the compressed air, is

conveyed through pipe B to the engine. By

means of the valve 6 the flow of oil can be regulated, as previouslystated, and hence the intensity of the combustion is controlled.

The reaction which takes place in the compressed-air chamber through mysystem of burningisrepresentedasfollows: (3+O :CO Where C represents anatom of carbon which combines with two atoms of oxygen, the result isthe production of carbonic-acid gas. This is accomplished by no loss involume through what might be termed burning of the air.

Thomas Box, in his treatise on heat, says, pages 66 and 67,paragraph 78:When oxygen and carbon combine, the volume of the carbonic-acid gasformed is nearly the same as that of the oxygen consumed. When,therefore, a combustible contains carbon only, the volume of gas in thechimney is the same as that of the air entering the fire, expanded, ofcourse, to the volume due to the increased temperature, the oxygenconsumed having been replaced by the same volume of carbonic-acid.

gas. The nitrogen in the air is passive, passing through the firewithout chemical alteration. It being therefore established that a flameburning in compressed air does not re duce the volume throughcombustion, the increase of volume through expansion due to heat will bereadily understood by reference to the tabulated statement contained inthe work of Box, previously mentioned.

In the case of oil or common gasoline, which Ifind to be adapted to thepresent purpose,

I have hydrogen to deal with, the gasolinebeing a hydrocarbon. Thedirect influence of the hydrocarbon is to still further increase thevolume of the resultant, in that two atoms of hydrogen from the oil willcombine with one atom of oxygen from the air, producing 11 0,01 water.This water, on account of the high temperature, willbe in a state ofvapor. It is well understood by pneumatic engineers that thermal vaporis much more susceptible to expansion through heat than dry air. Ido notpropose in all cases to use the air at a very high temperature, but inany case the gain in heating will be important as affecting increasedvolume and reduced liability to freezing.

In carrying out my invention I have found that the method of internalheating can be used for the generation of an inflammable gas suitablefor heating and cooking purposes and which can be piped to the point ofconsumption. The reaction which takes place when the flame burns inatmospheric air is a combination of carbon and oxygen. If thatcombination is complete, as is the case of the Bunsen burner, CO isproduced, or carbonicacid gas; but where the supply of carbon exceedsthat of the oxygen is produced, or carbonic-oxide gas. Now carbonic-acidgas is not inflammable, while carbonic-oxide gas is. In thecompressed-air chamber the supply of carbon and oxygen could relativelybe controlled, so that carbonic-oxide gas would be produced, which,going along with the oxygen in the air, would form a very useful gas forheating or cooking, as stated. Inasmuch as the full value of each atomof carbon is representedin the product which is contained in the pipethe production of this gas will be an economical one.

It will be understood from the foregoing description of thecombinations, nature, and some of the results of my invention that byvaryin g the amount of hydrocarbon furnished to the burner in the retortA a resultant is produced which is eitherinflammable ornot,as desired,and 1 contemplate utilizing such capability to its fullest extent.

Where the supply of hydrocarbon to the retort A is such as to producecarbonic-acid gas the same may be piped toheating-stoves or the like, ormay be supplied to explosionengines, commonly known as gas-engines orcaloric engines, and with this end in view a convenient means ofsecuring a variety of results from a single air-compressing plant isindicated in the diagram Fig. 3, in which the main air-supply pipe B isbifurcated and the branches B B are furnished with separate retorts A Aeach of which may be supplied with a proper quantity of hydrocarbon toproduce a resultant gas having the necessary qualifications for thedesired use. The branch B, as indicated, supplies carbonic-acid gas toany kind of engines-forexample, a pumpingengine 2 and a drilling-engine3while the branch B is arranged to besupplied with carbonic-oxide gaswhich may be utilized for power or heat as indicated by the stove 4 andgas-engine 5 in connection therewith.

I am well aware that the exhaust from a drilling or other enginesupplied with heated carb0nic-acid gas according to myinvention would,if in a confined space, so vitiate the atmosphere as to render the sameextremely unwholesome and productive of injurious results to theattendant workman, and Itherefore do not contemplate the operation ofengines in confined spaces without the addition of means for preventingdeleterious resultsas, for instance, by leading off escapingcarbonic-acid gas through an exhaust-pipe communicating with the openair or by passing the exhaust from an engine so operated through orcombining the same with substances or agents which would neutralize theobjectionable effects of the carbonic-acid gas. The

products of the combustion of the carbonicoxide gas are disposed of inany usual or convenient manner.

I have hereinbefore referred to my improved method as being fullyaccomplished in a single chamber and by once subjecting the air to theaction of a flame. It must be understood, however, that in someinstances as, for example, when the air being treated is under very highpressure-good results may be secured by employing a number of retorts orchambers connected in series, supplying each with a flame, andsubjecting the air successively to their action. The use of a number ofretorts, each supplied with a small flame, would reduce the possibilityof explosion of .the mixture, and this I claim as an obviousmodification of the hereindescribed method, since it may in practice hefound to be more economical, safe, and satisfactory to provide aplurality of small chambers or retorts A than a single one of sufficientcapacity to produce the desired results.

I do not confine myself to the use of oil, gas, or any particularcombustible, nor do I limit myself to any special form of apparatus inwhich the heating or burning of the air takes place.

Having described my invention, what I claim,and desire to secure byLetters Patent, 1s-

1. The method of increasing the efficiency of compressed air for use asa motive power at a distance from the compressor, the same consisting indelivering compressed air to a line-pipe, conveying said air through theline pipe to a point near the point of consumption, whereby the heat ofcompression is dissipated, then applying heat to said cooled air bydirect contact therewith within the pipe, and then supplying the heatedair to a translating device or devices.

2. The method of increasing the efficiency of compressed air for use asa motive power at a distance from the compressor, the same consisting indelivering compressed air to a line-pipe, conveying said air through thelinepipe to a point near the point of consumption, whereby the heat ofcompression is dissipated, then bringing said cooled air in contact witha flame within the line-pipe, and then supplying the heated air to atranslating device or devices.

3. The method of increasing the efficiency of compressed air for motivepurposes, the same consisting in delivering the compressed air to aline-pipe, conveying said air through the line-pipe to a point near thepoint of consumption, then bringing the said air in con tact with aflame contained within the linepipe at a point adjacent to the point ofconsumption, and then supplying the heated air to the translatingdevice.

4. The method of increasing the efficiency of compressed air for motivepurposes, the same consisting in delivering the compressed air to aline-pipe at a point distant from the source of supply, conveying saidair through the line-pipe from the compressor to a point near the pointof consumption, then bringing the said air in contact with a flamecontained within a chamber forming part of the line-pipe, and thensupplying the heated air from said chamber to the translating device. 10

In testimony whereof I hereto affix my signature in presence of twowitnesses.

WM. L. SAUNDERS. Vitnesses:

J OHN STANDFAST, HUNTINGTON PAGE.

